Stoker



June 5, 1934. v w IQ 1,961,216

stoma Original Filed Dec. 6, 1929 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR W/LLMM THOMPSON HANNA.

ATTORN EY S W. T. HANNA June 5, 1934.

STOKER Original Filed Dec. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR NIH/AM THOMPSON I HAN/M f5 CWT;

ATTORNEYS June 5, 1934.

W. T. HANNA STOKER Original Filed Dec. 6, 1929 SSheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR w/LL/AM THU/IP80 HAN/VA l ATTORNEYS Patented June 5,1934 I UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Application December 6, 1929, Serial No. 412,028 Renewed February 17, 1933 13 Claims. (CI. 83-52) This invention relates to stokers in general, but more particularly to stokers for use on locomotives and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fuel crushing device for a stoker that will serve to crush coal to a moredesirable firing size preparatory to its introduction into the firebox of the locomotive and thus materially improve the efficiency of distribution of the coal over the fire-bed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel crushing device of this character, which in part, is associated with the means for conveying the coal from the tender hopper forwardly toward the locomotive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel crushing device of this character which will serve to manipulate long and slender lumps of coal in such a manner as to cause them to be crushed preliminarily to the distributing operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel crushing device of this character which will serve to minimize the size of the lumps of coal to a greater degree without reducing the delivering efiiciency of the conveying means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fuel crushing device of this character which will be of sturdy construction and of simple design. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, all as will be herein illustratively described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are shown the features of a selected embodiment of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section, showing a form of stoker mechanism in which this invention may be embodied. g

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the tender hopper showing the members of the crushing device.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View, taken substantially on a line 3-3, Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the tender hopper-taken substantially on a line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of the tender hopper taken substantially on a line 5-5, Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of a porconveyor tion of the tender hopper taken substantially on a line 66, Fig. 4.

In the drawings, 10 represents the back-head of the fire-box on a locomotive having the usual firing opening 11 and associated therewith may be any form of 'stoker mechanism. A tender hopper 12 is located below the deck 13 of the tender 14, and within this hopper is a spiral conveyor 15 which is operatively connected to a similar conveyor 16 rotatively supported within a conduit 17 by means of which the fuel is transferred from the tender hopper forwardly to the distributing device (not shown). This device is enclosed within the housing 18 mounted upon the back-head 10 of the locomotive fire-box.

Power may be supplied to the conveyors l5 and 16, and to the aforesaid distributing device by means of a suitable power unit 19 mounted on the locomotive. This unit is operatively connected to the conveyor 15 by means of a telescopic shaft 20, shaft 2 and gear 22, and to the said distributing device by means of a telescopic shaft 23.

Referring to Figures 2 through 6 the fuel crushing device is preferably mounted within the tender hopper 12, near the delivery end thereof and, as herein shown, comprises in part a structure 24 which is arranged in the form of a plurality of plates or crushing surfaces 25, 26 and 27 within the hopper, partially encompassing the delivery end of the conveyor 15 and disposed around delivery opening 33 of hopper 12. These plates are disposed at varying angles converging on the conveyor and the angular disposition shown has been found to be most efiicient for crushing abnormally large lumps of fuel. In the arrangement of the crushing surfaces, plate 26 forms a crushing surface located above, generally over one side of conveyor 16 and sloping forwardly, downwardly and laterally toward the conveyor and intersecting discharge opening 33. 95 Plate 25 is located adjacent the other side of conveyor 15 and slopes.forwardly toward the intersecting discharge opening 33. These surfaces 25 and 26 intersect one another in a line located above and intersecting the dis- 100 charge opening. This line has a steep slope towards the discharge opening. The top rear edges of surfaces 26 and 25 form a V-notch, the apex of which contains the line, and which apex is located substantially above and slightly to one 105 side of the discharge opening. With this construction fuel delivered to the crushing plates may flow up past portions of the plate adjacent the line of intersection, thereby preventing excessive pressures from building up in the event no of clogging of the stoker mechanism. The plates 25, 26 and 27 may be provided with a plurality of teeth or projections, such as 28, extending therefrom at varying angles to the plates, for various purposes such as for example increasing the efficiency of the crushing device.

The conveyor 15 comprises a shaft or hub portion 30 on which is provided a spiral vane 31 by means of which the coal is moved toward the delivery end of the tender hopper 12 and forced against the crushing device. However, in order that long and slender lumps of coal that may be lying entirely within the peripheral contour of said vane, as Well as lumps of ordinary size but of more or less regular contour, may not be permitted to pass intact through the crushing zone, the conveyor 15 is also provided with a second spiral vane 32 of difierent radius than said first vane 31 and disposed between the vane 31 in the region of the crushing plates 25, 26 and 2'7. This spiral vane 32 also serves to cause long and slender lumps of coal, which may be lying between the convolutions of the vane 31 and substantially parallel with the axis of said vane, to be tilted or manipulated in such a manner as to be forced against one or the other of the plates 25, 26 and 27 of the structure 24 and properly crushed. Further, the spiral vane 32 serves to hold all lumps of coal lying between the convolutions of the vane 31 at a greater distance from the axis of the conveyor, thereby enabling the vane 31 to force smaller lumps of coal against the plates of the structure 24 than would otherwise be the case. Further-. more, the spiral vane 32 not only serves to manipulate lumps of fuel to present them to the crushing structure, but also, as hereinbefore pointed out in the objects, serves to advance the fuel past the crushing plates and through the delivery opening.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a construction of an essentially practical nature in which the several objects of this invention are attained.

As many other embodiments may be made of the features of the above invention without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a stoker mechanism, a fuel crushing device comprising crushing plates forming a crushing zone and means to cause lumps of fuel to be forced against the crushing plates, said means comprising a rotatable conveyor having a primary spiral vane, and a secondary spiral vane of different radius from said primary vane and disposed between that .part of the primary spiral vane, which is within the crushing zone.

2. In a stoker mechanism for a locomotive fire box, in combination, a tender hopper, a crushing structure rigidly mounted therein. a continuous conveyor rotatably supported within said hopper and arranged to force lumps of fuel against said structure and thereafter to advance the crushed fuel toward the fire box, and means associated with said continuous conveyor and located within the confines of said crushing struoture for manipulating lumps of coal and maintaining the same in position for crushing, and 1for advancing the crushed fuel toward the fire 3. In a stoker mechanism [or a locomotive fire box, in combination, a tender hopper, a crushing structure rigidly mounted therein, a conveyor rotatably supported within said hopper extending past the crushing structure and arranged to force lumps of fuel against said structure and thereafter to advance the crushed fuel toward the fire box, said conveyor having a hub portion carrying a spiral vane and also having means within the confines of the crushing structure and carried by said hub portion to cause lumps of fuel that may be lying entirely within the peripheral contour of said spiral vane to be forced by said vane against said structure.

4. In a locomotive stoker mechanism, in com bination, a tender hopper, a crushing structure rigidly mounted therein, a conveyor rotatably supported within said hopper and arranged to force lumps of fuel out against said structure and thereafter to advance the crushed fuel toward the locomotive, said conveyor having a continuous primary spiral vane and a secondary spiral vane of different radius from said primary vane and disposed between said primary vane and within the confines of said crushing structure.

5. In a stoker mechanism, in combination, a crushing structure, a continuous spiral vane act- .ing to force uncrushed material against said structure and to convey crushed fuel past said structure, and fuel-manipulating means disposed between those turns of the continuous vanes which lie within the bounds of the crushing structure for presenting uncrushed fuel to said spiral vane to be forced against said crushing structure.

6. In a stoker mechanism, in combination, a crushing structure, a rotatable spiral vane acting to force material uncrushed against said structure and to convey crushed material past said structure, and a second spiral vane interposed between the convolutions of the first vane for manipulating lumps of fuel therebetween to place the same in position for crushing, said second spiral vane being located in the zone of said crushing structure.

7. In a stoker mechanism, a crushing means comprising a hopper having a delivery opening, crushing plates disposed adjacent said opening, and acontinuous screw conveyor adapted to convey crushed fuel through said opening, and to force uncrushed fuel out against said plates; and means disposed between vanes of said continuous screw conveyor and in the region of said plates for presenting uncrushed fuel to said conveyor to be forced against said plates.

8. In a stoker mechanism, a crushing means comprising a hopper having a delivery opening, crushing means disposed adjacent said opening, and a continuous screw conveyor adapted to convey crushed fuel through said opening, and to force uncrushed fuel out against said crushing means; and a second continuous screw disposed between the vanes of said first-named screw, but having a smaller radius than said first-named screw for presenting uncrushed fuel to said firstnamed screw to be forced against said crushing means.

9. In a stoker mechanism, a crushing means comprising a hopper having a delivery opening, crushing plates disposed adjacent said opening, and a continuous screw conveyor adapted to con vey crushed fuel through said opening, and to force uncrushed fuel out against plates; and means disposed To iween vanes of said screw con-- -a'cyor and in the region of said plates for presenting uncrushed fuel to said continuous conveyor forced against said plates, said means also being adapted to convey crushed fuel through said opening.

11. In a stoker mechanism, in combination, a crushing structure having a delivery opening and including a plurality of crushing surfaces disposed around said opening, a continuous spiral vane acting to force uncrushed material against saidstructure and to convey crushed fuel past said structure and fuel manipulating means disposed between turns of the continuous vane for presenting uncrushed fuel to said spiral vane to be forced against said crushing structure.

12. In a fuel crushing and feeding mechanism,

a hopper, a screw conveyor located in the hopper, a crushing structure associated with said hopper and having a passage therethrough with a discharge opening, said crushing structure including an upper crushing surface located above, generally over one side of said conveyer and sloping "forwardly, downwardly and laterally toward said conveyer and intersecting said discharge open- CERTIFICATE Patent No. l, 961, 216..

ing, and a side crushing surface positioned adjacent the other side of the conveyer and sloping forwardly toward said conveyer and intersecting said discharge opening; said surfaces intersecting in a line located above and intersecting said discharge opening and said line having a steep slope toward said discharge opening, the top rear edges of said surfaces forming a V notch, the

apex of which contains said line and is located substantially above the discharge opening, whereby the flow of fuel up past portions of the surfaces adjacent the line of intersection prevents excessive pressure from occuring during th crushing operation.

13. In a fuel crushing and feeding mechanism, a hopper, a screw conveyer located in the hopper, a crushing structure associated with said hopper and having a discharge opening therethrough, said crushing structure including an upper crushing surface located above, generally over one side of said conveyer, and sloping forwardly, downwardly and laterally toward said conveyer and intersecting said discharge opening, and a substantially vertical side crushing surface positioned adjacent the other side of the conveyer; said surfaces intersecting one another to form a notch extending upwardly from said discharge opening to the top rear edges of said surfaces, the topmost part of the apex of said notch being located above, and slightly to the rear of said discharge opening, whereby excessive fuel pressure is prevented during the crushing operation by the flow of fuel up through said notch.

WILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA.

0F CORRECTION.

, June 5. 1934.

WILLIAM THOMPSON HANNA.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page Z, line 136 claim 8, strike out the word "continuous" and insert the same before "screw" in line 137; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with thiscorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office."

Signed and sealed this 7m day of August, A. o. 1934.

(Seal Leslie Frazer Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

